Zodiac

14

Needless to say, the van was mostly silent. Willow didn't wake up until we were halfway through the next state, and even then she refused to talk. We finally stopped for the night at a small, low profile motel.

"Two rooms, please." Michael split us into pairs: he would stay with Aaron, I would stay with Willow.

She still wouldn't talk to us.

I took her to our room and grabbed the McDonald's we had picked up earlier. While I unwrapped my Big Mac, she curled up on the bed, keeping silent. I set down the burger to go sit on the bed. "Willow? Do you want to talk?"

"No. Go away." She muttered, hiding her face.

"In case you haven't noticed, I can't. Besides, this will be good for us."

"How is these even remotely good?" She sniffled, tucking her legs in even more.

"One: we get to travel. Two: we get to learn to control our powers. Three: we get to meet cool people."

"Alright, my turn." She snapped back, glaring at me with her puffy post-crying eyes. "One: I get homesick! Two: who cares? I don't even want my powers! Three: I don't want to meet anyone else! I'm happy with my family!"

I felt my blood pressure rising. "Oh, you mean those people who just kicked you out of their life? Wow, what a family."

"Shut up! You don't know what it's like to lose your parents for something that isn't even your fault!" She clamped her hands over her mouth the second she said it. "W-wait... I didn't mean..."

But it was too late. My thoughts flashed to that night, where my life changed forever. Where my parents fell in love with alcohol, because it helped numb the pain.

The pain he left behind.

"...J-Jackson...?" Her whimpers brought me back to the present. My fists were clenched. My teeth were grinding. My entire body shook with the effort of resisting an attack.

I could kill you. I could tear you to pieces and you wouldn't stand a chance. I could do whatever I wanted, and nobody would care.

"Jackson, please... I'm sorry..." she sobbed again. My anger rushed away, leaving only shame and small cuts where my fingernails dug into my own flesh. I was a monster, and I couldn't control myself.

"Willow." I looked her in the eyes as my own tears fell, and I smiled. "I forgive you."